The legendary action star Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a part of turmoil and controversy all over his life..
From a young teenage bodybuilder rising out of an Austrian village town, finding fame and exposure in the contests around Europe, and eventually garnering the spotlight in the land of opportunities in the US, Schwarzenegger’s life has been one incredible journey. But with every great man comes a story worth retelling on tabloid cover pages and lengthy expose-style memoirs.
Meanwhile, the goddess of the ’80s, Brigitte Nielsen was more than a sensation and a phenomenon. She received public recognition with her debut in Hollywood with films like Red Sonja (1985), Rocky IV (1985), and Cobra (1986).
The first of those three found Nielsen paired opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger whose Terminator (released the year before Red Sonja) had just found international fame and acclaim. The pair hit it off instantly, and Nielsen later revealed in her compelling tell-all book, You Only Get One Life (2011):
“I was naturally very flirty and maybe there was already something there because of our roles in the movie, I don’t know: we were supposed to be in love on screen. We wanted to try everything and so we did. There were no restrictions, no promises, nothing, and it was a great time in my life.”
Their on-screen chemistry, although leading to a highly sensationalized affair with Schwarzenegger, would not go on to survive for much longer. The pair broke it off after Nielsen discovered the Terminator actor was dating Maria Shriver at the time. Shriver and Schwarzenegger went on to get married in 1986, while Nielsen found romance on the sets of Rocky IV with Sylvester Stallone.
